Biography Essay

John Betjeman was a unique figure in twentieth-century English poetry, enjoying a degree of fame and success unequaled by any poet since George Gordon, Lord Byron. His Collected Poems of 1958 reputedly sold more than one hundred thousand copies, and they are read by millions of people who normally never read poetry, and he became a household name through his many appearances on television panels and on programs about architecture. He was also quintessentially English, a pillar of the so-called establishment and the friend of royalty (Princess Margaret's affection for his poetry is well known), and during a long and diverse career, he accumulated several honorary doctorates, was made a commander, Order of the British Empire, and received a knighthood before being created the Poet Laureate in 1972.

Despite such public recognition (or perhaps partly because of it) Betjeman's stature as a poet has remained singularly hard to...